Toxic

In a desolate Lithuanian town, 13-year-old Marija clings to her dream of becoming a model despite her physical disability and the relentless bullying she faces. Alongside her best friend Kristina, she enrolls in a ruthless modeling school, where her youthful ambition quickly warps into a dangerous obsession with body image.

Saulė Bliuvaitė crafts a harrowing portrait of adolescence under the crushing weight of capitalism where every glance in the mirror becomes an act of self-betrayal. Winner of the Locarno Golden Leopard, Toxic exposes how society weaponizes female ambition, transforming self-improvement into self-destruction. With documentary-like intimacy, the film reveals how eating disorders aren't personal failures but logical responses to impossible demands. In a world where worth is measured in centimeters and grams, Marija's story becomes a devastating metaphor for a generation taught to shrink themselves to fit. (BH)

Content warning: Eating disorders